Preface

I hope you enjoy this tutorial on copyright.

You can start learning right now: copyright law, fair use, TEACH Act and other copyright laws and concepts do NOT give us the immediate or exact answer to all of the copyright questions you will encounter as an educator. There are several reasons for this:

Exemptions, such as fair use, are not defined specifically in copyright law, but are often described as 'common practice' and 'safe harbors' that cannot be adequately proscribed

Copyright laws are subject to interpretation by the educator, copyright experts, and legal counsel at the institution

'Case law' based on actual cases of suspected copyright infringement and their outcomes have not as yet given educators a very clear picture of how the courts view copyright law and exemptions in higher education

This tutorial was developed for the faculty, staff, and students at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). The creator is a librarian with many years of experience and training in copyright issues. It has been approved by legal counsel as a guideline for UAMS educators. You are most welcome to use this tutorial, but modifications may be required to meet your institution's copyright policy. You will find differences of opinion in the copyright guidelines of higher education institutions on many of the issues. UAMS works diligently to inform our faculty, staff, and students about copyright. UAMS attempts to follow the intent of all copyright laws and exemptions. Also, please refer to the resources listed at the end of this tutorial as good resources for making copyright decisions. The tutorial is limited to U.S. copyright laws only.